Well, now we have the S03 error. I don't want to do what was suggested earlier, only because I cannot fathom having 400 shows uncategorized in one folder. /shudder

I just chatted with a Tivo rep and got this info:

Quote:

Jay: Step 1: Unplug Power from the TiVo box and plug it back in

Step 2: As the TiVo HD restarts, the green LED light on the front bezel DVR will be lit. As soon as it blinks, immediately (within 2 seconds) press and hold down the PAUSE button on the remote.

Step 3: Within a few moments, the yellow and red LED lights will turn on.(If you are unable to catch the timing, you may also hold the PAUSE button down continuously during the restart until the yellow and red LEDs come on.)

Step 4: When the yellow and red LEDs come on, release the PAUSE button and then press 57 (the numbers 5 and then 7 on the remote control. (You will have approximately 10 seconds to do this.)

Step 5: Wait for the box to finish restarting. After the box finishes restarting a green screen with an error message will be on the screen for up to three hours.

Me: Okay, I will try that. What should I see after that happens? If everything works, I mean
Jay: It should boot up and when you connect it should succeed. The issue is being caused by corrupt data, this process will try to delete that to allow for the new guide information to install.

Well, now we have the S03 error. I don't want to do what was suggested earlier, only because I cannot fathom having 400 shows uncategorized in one folder. /shudder

I just chatted with a Tivo rep and got this info:

What he is telling you to do is run the diagnostic that checks the file system for consistency. This will recover from file system errors. However, in most cases, we believe the problem is not caused by file system errors.

The procedure didn't work for me.

When it didn't work, they told me that meant my disk drive was bad, so I replaced it. Within 5 weeks, the new drive had the same problem. I learned to fix it by unplugging the TA and the internet connection for a few days to let the database garbage-collection process complete.

That's LRhorer, not IRhorer, if you please.
I would be very surprised if this were the case. First of all, SD channels take up very little bandwidth. With industry norm rate shaping, there are 12 SD streams in a single QAM dedicated to SD material. After dicounting the more popular channels, that's probably nearly enough to deliver almost all the SD channels on your system. Add to that the fact industry norm rate shaping puts two HD channels and one SD channel per QAM, and I seriously doubt there is only 1 SDV SD channel.

I can confirm that several SD channels are on SDV. One example is Boomerang for me... (TWC in Ohio)

1) Few weeks ago, one of my Tuning Adapters was in 8 blink mode when I got home from work. I called TWC and had them ping TA to make it functional again. Few days later I realized that GC completed earlier that day. This is the Tivo that I have set to reboot at 4AM every day so GC process must have taken less than 14-18 hours to complete that day with TA attached but not functioning.

2) Tivo was garbage collecting for days (network disconnected). I was watching the log on this Tivo. The log had zero dbgc info in it. I was getting bored and decided to swap out USB cable just in case TWC was handing out bad ones. As soon as I disconnected the USB cable I saw a bunch of dbgc rubbish collection lines scroll by (40-50 lines). While I had TA disconnected, dbgc went to ~9% CPU utilization (previously 0%) and also scheduler kicked in using 40-60% CPU and scheduled 500 recordings in 2 hours. (It scheduled 567 recordings in previous 7 days)

I think Tuning Adapter is somehow blocking GC & possibly other processes (scheduling Tivo Suggestions to record).
I started checking inter-process communications with routerplus but the amount of data is overwhelming and will take considerable effort to diagnose. (Anyone have a list of protocol numbers?)

Quote:

Originally Posted by wtherrell

My last GC was with Channel line up fix on October 15 and my GC date never updates on its own. Monday morning Oct. 17 I was installing new Premiere Elite as a companion to my THD. TWC supplied TA USB cable for the new Cisco 1520 was bad so I unplugged the TA USB from the THD set up and switched it to the Elite. This was around 10:30 AM. I took the bad cable to local TWC office and they swapped it out. Returned and put the new USB cable to the TA THD set-up. This was about 12:30 PM. Next day I was checking System Info on the THD and it showed GC completed 7:52 PM Monday evening Oct. 17. I am pretty sure that unplugging the TA USB connection for that time caused the GC to complete. So I think that instead of running Channel fix for a while I am going to try disconnecting the TA USB to THD connection for a while. I have no idea how long I need to leave it disconnected but I think I will start with 2 hours and work my way down to shorter times to see whether this will be reliable.

OK, I've been posting on the other thread. But, it seems to be dead. So, I've moved over here.

To recap:

I have two TiVo HDs, one original and one upgraded to 1 TB. Both have Cisco TAs anc CCs. Only the upgraded TiVo has the guide data and S03 problem.

I have been using the channel fix to force a GC. But, it never performs another GC on its own So, I've been doing the channel fix every 14 days or so.

I just did my last fix yesterday. After the fix, I forced a connection and then unplugged the Internet connection from the TiVo. It's been 24 hours and still no new GC.

I am now going to reconnect the Internet and force another connection, after which I will unplug only the tuning adapter (TA).

Update 10/20/2011 0811 PST:
The TiVo did a GC on its own within 2 hrs of unplugging the TA. I have re-plugged the TA to get my scheduled recordings. There is another network connection scheduled for later today. I will check to see if the TiVo GCs on its own without pulling the power cord on the TA.

Have you tried the channel fix yet? It will get you up and running, at the very least temporarily, perhaps even permanently.

Navigate thru your TiVo menu as follows:

Settings>Channels>Channel List> ENTER

Do this even though your channel lineup is actually correct. Go thru and follow the on-screen prompts. Basically you are repeating portions of guided setup and re-installing your current lineup. This will purge the guide data and reset things so to speak.

The downside of the above is that it takes a while and it resets your channel lineup. So, you will have to go back and redo your favorite channels if you have done so in the past.

Good Luck

As you have already read in this thread and other thread, DO NOT do guided setup. This will leave you stuck in the dreaded S03 loop, unable to complete the guided setup and worse off.

Well that was a big failure. I know, I'm not surprised, but I had to try it. Interestingly, even though it says my program data will run out on 10/21, and there were things set to record on 10/19 and 10/20...after the diagnostic and reboot, all 10/19 and 10/20 to do recordings were gone. Ugh.

Quote:

Originally Posted by terryjamison

Sushi,

Have you tried the channel fix yet? It will get you up and running, at the very least temporarily, perhaps even permanently.

Navigate thru your TiVo menu as follows:

Settings>Channels>Channel List> ENTER

Do this even though your channel lineup is actually correct. Go thru and follow the on-screen prompts. Basically you are repeating portions of guided setup and re-installing your current lineup. This will purge the guide data and reset things so to speak.

The downside of the above is that it takes a while and it resets your channel lineup. So, you will have to go back and redo your favorite channels if you have done so in the past.

Good Luck

As you have already read in this thread and other thread, DO NOT do guided setup. This will leave you stuck in the dreaded S03 loop, unable to complete the guided setup and worse off.

I will try this first thing tomorrow. I think I started it once before but didn't complete it.

If that doesn't work, then I'll try the more drastic step of clearing everything but our recordings. To those that have done that, what happened to your recordings? Someone said initially that all old recordings went into one folder and new folders were started for new recordings. Is this the case for everyone? Does it keep separate folders for each show, or did it dump all old recordings into one single folder?

Attempting channel fix now. You said it takes awhile so I'm guessing at 1+ hours so far, that's normal? (Yes, I've run it before when setting up a new tivo, but I can't seem to remember it taking this long.) The thing that worries me is that it's been stuck on the "preparing" part of the connection for the longest time and I really don't remember that part. Oh well. Keeping my fingers crossed.

It can take 10+ hours. It is doing garbage collection during preparing to connect phase. Just let it churn...

Quote:

Originally Posted by sushikitten

Attempting channel fix now. You said it takes awhile so I'm guessing at 1+ hours so far, that's normal? (Yes, I've run it before when setting up a new tivo, but I can't seem to remember it taking this long.) The thing that worries me is that it's been stuck on the "preparing" part of the connection for the longest time and I really don't remember that part. Oh well. Keeping my fingers crossed.

After successfully getting a GC by blocking the TiVo from the Internet for 48 hours, GC didn't occur again for the 72 hours since I re-enabled the Internet.

This morning, I unplugged the TA and got a GC in 3 hours. The next step will be to put the TA power plug on a timer to turn it off for 4 hours in the early morning when I don't normally record anything.

Man, this waiting is hard. We're on 7.5 hours now... It seems like it should get stuck on any other step except Connecting. Of course, I'm afraid it's going to be bricked and then I've lost everything.

.......If that doesn't work, then I'll try the more drastic step of clearing everything but our recordings. To those that have done that, what happened to your recordings? Someone said initially that all old recordings went into one folder and new folders were started for new recordings. Is this the case for everyone? Does it keep separate folders for each show, or did it dump all old recordings into one single folder?

With the channel fix going on, you shouldn't have to do this. However, when I did it, there was no problem with the recordings. They stayed in their folders. What was strange for me was that it did not delete all of my season passes. Most, but not all. And when new recordings started, they started a new folder. So for some season passes, I now have 2 identical folders, one with new recordings and one with the old recordings.

Maybe the reason it did not delete those passes is BECAUSE I had a folder existing.

Interesting. Still just 5 days worth. Also worrisome is that I normally have a really full To Do list (lots of daily kid shows and daily stuff like Ellen and Chelsea) but over the next five days it only has like 6 total things set. WHAT?! (I know it's the weekend but still.)

I went in to a few season passes and looked for future episodes and stuff was there and set to record, so maybe just opening the season pass reset it or something?

It's loading another daily update now (89%) so we'll see what happens after that.

My last GC was with Channel line up fix on October 15 and my GC date never updates on its own. Monday morning Oct. 17 I was installing new Premiere Elite as a companion to my THD. TWC supplied TA USB cable for the new Cisco 1520 was bad so I unplugged the TA USB from the THD set up and switched it to the Elite. This was around 10:30 AM. I took the bad cable to local TWC office and they swapped it out. Returned and put the new USB cable to the TA THD set-up. This was about 12:30 PM. Next day I was checking System Info on the THD and it showed GC completed 7:52 PM Monday evening Oct. 17. I am pretty sure that unplugging the TA USB connection for that time caused the GC to complete. So I think that instead of running Channel fix for a while I am going to try disconnecting the TA USB to THD connection for a while. I have no idea how long I need to leave it disconnected but I think I will start with 2 hours and work my way down to shorter times to see whether this will be reliable.

Slow but steady progress.

This morning, Friday, Oct. 21 the GC was still stuck on Monday, Oct. 17.
I disconnected the USB cable from the TA, then forced a connection to download TIVO guide data. The guide data successfully concluded at 8:38 AM. While watching a recorded show I would periodically check the system info screen. I just checked and GC completed and updated to current date at 9:18 AM. Only 40 minutes! I guess I will perform this ritual once a week from now on. Hope this means that the S03 error and "running out of guide data" problems are only history. To me it is clear (as many have already said) that it is indeed the TA that is causing the GC to stall. TIVO should be able to get around this in their OS program and issue an update. Hope so. But not holding my breath.

Automation is going to be easier for me to do than fumble around behind my AV gear once a week. I just set my router to give my basement Tivo Mothership access only on M,W,F,Su. Hopefully that will accomplish the same result.

The downside of the above is that it takes a while and it resets your channel lineup. So, you will have to go back and redo your favorite channels if you have done so in the past.

I did not encounter that behavior when I did the "channel line-up fix.". I accepted all the defaults and when it was done I found that all my premium, deselected, and favorite channels were exactly as they had been before I started.

Someone said initially that all old recordings went into one folder and new folders were started for new recordings. Is this the case for everyone? Does it keep separate folders for each show, or did it dump all old recordings into one single folder?

It was certainly the case each time I did it. For each recorded show, I wound up with two folders - one contained the old shows and the other contained recordings since the "fix." Of course I also wound up with duplicate recordings, because the TiVo did not recognize the existing recordings as duplicates. It was a minor inconvenience compared with the hassle of having to recreate my entire SP and WL lists. Thank deity for the "channel line-up fix."

I did not encounter that behavior when I did the "channel line-up fix.". I accepted all the defaults and when it was done I found that all my premium, deselected, and favorite channels were exactly as they had been before I started.

I have never selected "Favorite channels" but I do deselect certain ones. Those all stayed as I had them after the channel fix.

Automation is going to be easier for me to do than fumble around behind my AV gear once a week. I just set my router to give my basement Tivo Mothership access only on M,W,F,Su. Hopefully that will accomplish the same result.

We'll see.

[NG]Owner

Well, I know how to fumble better than I know how to set my router like that. I use a Belkin and I don't know if it supports it or the alternate "tomato" & such firmware that you can customize. Might look into it as weather gets colder and I am inside more.